Find your test

NEUROFIT offers a variety of well-accepted behavioral tests to assess the potential anxiolytic, antidepressant or antipsychotic effects as well as cognitive enhancing and disrupting effects on learning and memory (cognition, psychiatry, neurology). We have developed a comprehensive range of rat primary neuronal culture models and assays to evaluate neurotoxicity, neuroprotective or neurotrophic effect of test compounds (cellular models).

How can we help?

NEUROFIT offers a wide range of neuroscience preclinical services including in vivo and in vitro validated tests:

Animal / behavioural testsBehavioral measures are used to detect or measure changes in CNS and PNS functions that may be produced by induced diseases, neural injury, genetic modification or exposure to various drugs and treatments.

COGNITION

NEUROFIT offers several cognition test to assess the efficacy of your compounds. All our tests are run routinely by our experts who are also available to provide you advices in the design of your experiment. Our goal is to provide you the most relevant data following your needs. see more ...

T-Maze

The T-maze test allows to evaluate memory deficit (reduction in the number of alternation) useful as model for screening compounds with cognitive enhancing properties. see more ...

Reversal effect of Donepezil on cognitive deficit induced by SCOPOLAMINE in the mouse.

Passive Avoidance

The Passive Avoidance is a fear-aggravated test used to assess short- or long-term memory. The test requires rodents to act contrary to their innate behaviour. In that way, the apparatus is composed of a narrow bridge and a dark compartment so that the rodent will naturally choose to enter into the dark box. see more ...

Memantine: reversion of Amyloid-β-induced cognitive deficit in the Passive Avoidance test in the rat.

Novel Object Recognition

The object recognition task in rodents is considered a test for evaluating working memory in rodents. It is based on the spontaneous exploration of novel and familiar objects. Naive animals will spend more time exploring a novel object than a familiar one. see more ...

Reversal of Scopolamine-induced cognitive deficit in the novel object recognition assay by Nicotine.

ANXIETY / DEPRESSION

NEUROFIT provides different tests to evaluate the efficacy of your compounds. As each test implying anxiety and depression assessment is specific, we attach a great importance to the prior discussion to propose you the most relevant solution to answer to your question. see more ...

Marble Burying

The marble burying test is used to record the number of marbles buried by mice placed in a novel environment. This test has some predictive value for anti-depressant and/or anxiolytic drugs. see more ...

1 mg/kg Diazepam significantly reduces the number of buried marbles in mice.

Forced Swimming test

Animals placed in a container filled with water show periods of increased swimming activity and periods of relative immobility. Clinically active anti-depressants have been found to delay the onset of the first phase of immobility and to reduce the total time of relative immobility. see more ...

Antidepressant effect of Imipramine given ip. to Swiss mice

Elevated Plus Maze

The elevated plus maze (EPM) test is used to evaluate the relative anxiety status of mice or rats. The EPM situation rests on the conflict between the innate tendencies of rodents to explore novel environments and avoid open and brightly lit areas. see more ...

1 mg/kg Diazepam induces a significant increase in the time spent in the open arms.

Light-Dark test

The light dark paradigm in mice is based on a conflict between the innate aversion to brightly illuminated areas and the spontaneous exploratory activity. see more ...

Dose-response curve of diazepam-treated mice in the light dark test.

PAIN / INFLAMMATION

NEUROFIT implements different models and tests to evaluate compounds acting on different types of pain. Feel free to contact our experts to discuss about the most relevant test you could apply for your studies. see more ...

Hot Plate

The hot-plate test consists in a thermal pain measurement. In this test, the animal is placed on a heated-plate to measure his thermal pain reflexes which are characterized either by withdrawal of the paw or by licking. see more ...

The paw pressure test consists in applying a uniformly increasing mechanical pressure on the animal paw. This pressure induces pain leading to an escape reaction. see more ...

Tail-Flick

The tail flick test is a thermal hyperalgesia test in which the tail of the animal is subjected to a heat source. Once the animal feels uncomfortable, he removes spontaneously the tail (“tail flick”). Neurofit implements this test to evaluate the analgesic effect of your compounds. see more ...

SENSORI-MOTOR FUNCTION

Sensori-motor deficits are implied in a wide range of CNS and PNS diseases. NEUROFIT proposes different tests to study the influence of your compounds in sensori-motor deficit. see more ...

Open-Field

The Open-Field test is an experiment used to assay general locomotor activity levels in rodents. see more ...

Rotarod

The rotarod is a performance test based on a rotating rod with forced motor activity being applied. see more ...

Rats walk across an elevated 2.5m long beam graduated every 50cm. Successful walkg every 50cm is scored with 1 point. Misplacement is scored with -1. see more ...

Cylinder test

Forelimb contacts with the wall of an open-top, clear plastic cylinder while rearing are counted during 2 min period. The percentage of use of the affected forelimb (contralateral) is calculated as index of motor function in this test. see more ...

Wire-hanging

The integrity of muscle function is assessed by the time taken by the mouse to catch a wire in the hindpaws whilst hanging from its forepaws. see more ...

SIDE EFFECTS

NEUROFIT offers a large range of tests for evaluating various side effects (cognitive disturbance, motor coordination, sedation) of new test compounds. see more ...

Open-Field

The open-field test is an experiment used to assay general locomotor activity levels in rodents. see more ...

Travelled distance

Rotarod

The rotarod is a performance test based on a rotating rod with forced motor activity being applied. see more ...

Scoring

Memory

Scopolamine elicits a dose-dependent decrease in spontaneous alternation of mice in the T-MAZE. Scopolamine treatment causes deficit in the mice during the T-Maze alternation task. see more ...

Spontaneous alternation

Wire-Hanging

The integrity of muscle function is assessed by the time taken by the mouse to catch a wire in the hindpaws whilst hanging from its forepaws. see more ...

Mean time score

TOXICITY

Preclinical investigations of the toxicity of a compound represent a crucial step in the drug development process before eventual administration in humans. NEUROFIT has received ethics approval to conduct these studies. see more ...

Acute oral toxicity Study

Flow chart outlining the acute oral toxicity protocol with a starting dose of 300 mg/kg see more ...

Cellular testsLarge range of models and assays for evaluating neurotoxicity, neuroprotection or neurotrophic activity of new test compounds.
Custom protocols to determine mechanism of action, or define therapeutic indication of new drug candidates.

COGNITION

One of the strategies mostly used by pharmaceutical industries to prevent or repair neurodegeneration is based on the development of neuroprotectant or neurotrophic compounds. NEUROFIT implements different cellular models to assess the efficacy of these classes of compounds. see more ...

Neuroprotective effect of reference compound against damage induced by Aβ see more ...

Basal Amyloid β production

The system is tailored to assess the efficiency of Aβ lowering drugs such as BACE inhibitors. see more ...

Inhibition of production of Aβ1-42 by BMS-299897 in cultures of hippocampal neurons.

Effect of BMS-299897 on the survival of hippocampal neurons in cultures.

DEPRESSION

Today, growing interest has shifted to the reactivation of a juvenile-like plasticity in the brain for the treatment of depression. To be in line with this development concept, NEUROFIT proposes neuronal neurite outgrowth assay to demonstrate the effect of your antidepressant compounds. see more ...

Cortical neurons : neurite outgrowth

Effect of reference compounds on neurite outgrowth in cortical neurons culture see more ...

iPSC-derived neurons : neurite outgrowth

Synapse loss and dendritic atrophy are common in psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders and they are strongly correlated with cognitive decline. For example, synaptic loss in the hippocampus or cortex is an early and invariant feature of Alzheimer's disease.NEUROFIT offers Human iPSC Neurons-based screening to evaluate the capability of test compound to promote dendrite formation and growth. see more ...

FGFs are a family of growth factors involved in neuronal survival and differentiation during development and adulthood.

SPINAL CORD INJURY

Neurofit can evaluate the neuroprotective or neurotrophic effect of your compounds dedicated to the prevention or cure of spinal cord injuries. see more ...

Neurite outgrowth

Effect of reference compounds on neurite outgrowth in spinal neurons culture. see more ...

Nerve / Muscle co-culture

The motor unit is an intricate pluricellular structure in which motor neurons and muscle fibers are dependant on each other. Its formation and maintenance depend on continuous trophic, electrical and mechanical cross-talk between muscle and motor nerve. see more ...

NEURO-INFLAMMATION

Neuroinflammation is recognized as a critical process in different neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis...Astrocytes and microglia release wide variety of proinflammatory mediators, including nitric oxide, cytokines and chemokines.see more ...

Survival and viability

Astrocytes and microglia are key players in neuroinflammation since they release wide variety of proinflammatory mediators, including nitric oxide, cytokines and chemokines. see more ...

Effect of resveratrol and dexamethasone on the TNF-α release induced by LPS in mesencephalic cocultures.

EXCITOTOXICITY

Pathological process by which nerve cells are damaged or killed by excessive stimulation by neurotransmitters such as glutamate and similar substances. This occurs when receptors for the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate such as the NMDA receptor are overactivated. see more ...

Excitotoxicity on cortical neurons

Cortical neuron cultures are injured by an acute intoxication with glutamate.
The neuroprotective effect of compounds is evaluated based on their ability to inhibit this damage. Neuronal death is assessed by measuring LDH activity in the media. see more ...

iPSC-derived NEURONS

Synapse loss and dendritic atrophy are common in psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders and they are strongly correlated with cognitive decline. For example, synaptic loss in the hippocampus or cortex is an early and invariant feature of Alzheimer's disease.NEUROFIT offers Human iPSC Neurons-based screening to evaluate the capability of test compound to promote dendrite formation and growth.see more ...

FGFs are a family of growth factors involved in neuronal survival and differentiation during development and adulthood.

Diazepam (Valium) is a benzodiazepin used to treat anxiety disorders.

Electromyography (EMG)Sensorimotor deficit is observed under various diseases that affect the nervous system.

NERVE FUNCTION : SNCV

Sensorimotor deficit is observed under various diseases that affect the nervous system. see more ...

SNCV

Sensory nerve conduction velocity is used in the diagnosis of nerve damage or nerve dysfunction. NEUROFIT implements this test to evaluate the neuroprotective properties of compounds.see more ...

NEUROMUSCULAR FUNCTION : CMAP

Neuroprotective drugs are usually tested in this model but other treatments could also be considered. see more ...

CMAP

Compound muscle action potential (CMAP) consist in stimulating a nerve fiber and monitoring the response in the muscle. Commonly, CMAP signal is altered in the case of peripheral neuropathies. Neurofit implements this translational test to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of your compounds. see more ...

Time course of change in the amplitude of CMAP folowing Sciatic Nerve Crush

HistomorphometryStudy of the microscopic organization and structure of a tissue (as skin, nerve) by computer-assisted analysis of images formed by a microscope

IENF

Similar to the clinical peripheral neuropathy in man, the degeneration of intra-epidermal nerve fibers (IENF) can be monitored and quantified in various animal models of peripheral neuropathy. see more ...

According to your target indications we can establish a screening program for your drug project.In-house expertise allow us to assist you in most CNS and PNS disorders.

Under a Master Services Agreement a program can be established, where you work directly with the scientist responsible for the testing as if this person was working in your own laboratory. This will allow you to rapidly obtain access to already validated screening methods and to draw on our in-house expertise.
Data reporting, study performance etc... will of course be adapted to your specific needs during your direct interactions with the responsible scientist.